How Important Is Meal Frequency And The Timing Of Your Meals When You Are Trying To Lose A Stone

Nutritionists preach it, your doctor probably preaches - I preached it myself at one stage. It's one of the most commonly spouted bunch of blarney in the health and fitness industry today. What is it? Eat 5-6 small meals a day to a healthier lifestyle. It's not the end all and be all of healthy nutrition - not by a long shot...

There is no 'magic time' in the morning that our body must get foods in. It's nonsense pure and simple.

Following on from this we're going to discuss meal frequency. Now for years I have followed and admittedly (holding my hands up here) recommended that people eat 5-6 small meals a day to not only lose weight but to also to maintain a healthy lifestyle, ignite the metabolic fire and keep hunger at bay.

Well that too is a load of bull crap. There is no magic solution in eating 5-6 small meals a day. Truth be told - it's actually more of a burden than a blessing (especially for students). Eating frequent meals doesn't control hunger anymore than larger infrequent meals do. Here are three myths you should know about meal frequency.

Myth 1: Frequent meals throughout the day keep cravings and hunger at bay.

Eating 5 or 6 small meals a day doesn't do anything differently than 3 regular meals or even 2 meals do. All it really does is train your body to get hungry at frequent intervals throughout the day. Again studies with very unrealistic parameters have been used to substantiate claims on the benefits of small frequent meals. In these studies the composition and macronutrient (proteins, fats and carbs) make up of the meals were highly suspect.

On top of that frequent eating means very small portion sizes. For example, let's say that our TDEE or Total Daily Energy Expenditure is 2000 calories. TDEE is basically the total daily amount of calories you need to maintain your weight. Now are having meals of roughly 330 calories each going to fill you up or do you think 2-3 meals of 700-1000 calories would do a better job? As long as you get your required amount - that's all that matters.

Myth 2: Frequent meals boost your metabolism
Eating smaller more frequent meals doesn't' boost your metabolism any more than 2-3 regular meals does. Studies that promote this myth always refer back to the effect foods have on our bodies. The TEF or Thermic effect of food boils down to this: when we eat our metabolic rate increases and our bodies require energy to break down the foods we eat. This would suggest frequent meals are better, however, one thing often left out from the studies done on TEF is that it is directly proportional to the amount of calories consumed in the meals - i.e. larger meals are better than smaller more frequent ones. This is especially true when you are looking to lose a stone or more.

Myth 3: Frequent meals are the best way to lose a stone
Meal frequency like everything else comes down to the individual - frequent eating is only one method - it's not the only way to lose a stone. Take me for example I ate six small meals a day - found myself always being hungry and if I wasn't eating I was cooking or prepping or thinking about eating or cooking or prepping. I had very little time for anything else. So I now I have 2 sometimes 3 gargantuan meals a day - never get hungry, always feel full after my meals and have more time to be productive. Oh and my breakfast is NOT first thing in the morning...

Honestly do you have time to prepare and carry around 6 small meals with you everyday? If you do, chances are you're not getting a whole lot else done in the day right? This is especially true in college - you're way too busy to be lugging around lunch boxes or stopping into the canteen every 2 hours to get a bite to eat right? You should be any whoJ. In college keep your nutrition as simple as possible - having 3 substantial meals makes a lot more sense than 5-6 itty bitty meals that won't fill you up and leave your stomach grumbling - not good for you and not good for the people sitting beside you in lectures.
Article Source

Read more »

Does Medifast Work For People Who Aren't Obese?

I sometimes hear from folks who are in the very enviable position of not being all that overweight. Still, they want to make positive changes in their bodies and they would like to be at their most ideal weight. Many are under the perception that prepackaged diets may not be appropriate for them because they aren't considered obese or even very overweight.

I heard from someone who said: "I am not grossly overweight, but I'm not completely happy with the way that I look. Since I've turned 40, I notice a definite difference in my body, especially in my thighs, belly, and butt. I have tried spot exercising, but I still have excess fat in areas where fat should not be. I believe that if I lost 10 - 15 pounds, I'd be much happier with my appearance. And, I'm very intrigued with the Medifast diet. But, I'm wondering if it works for someone who isn't hugely overweight. You always see people who've lost over 100 pounds. I don't even come close to that category. Do they even make a plan for someone who isn't even approaching obese?"

There are no weight loss requirements for this diet. And the packages aren't broken down by how much weight you need to lose. Essentially, the packages come in 2 or 4 week increments (where you'd get enough food to eat five meals per day) and you simply buy the food as long as you need to. There's really no commitment.

Obviously, different people lose weight at different at different rates. I've heard of people who have only needed one monthly package in order to lose their target amount of weight, but I suspect that this is more the exception rather than the rule though.) With the stated ranges being 2 - 5 pounds per week for the first two weeks, you'll see that the mean is around 3 pounds. After that the range is 1 - 2 pounds.

This person's weight loss goal was 10 - 15 pounds. If you calculated the mean weight loss for her (which may not be completely accurate, but makes calculations easier), she'd loose around 9 pounds in one month. As I alluded to, some people lose more weight and some people lose less. Some people have weeks where they are on the high end of the range and weeks where they are on the low end. You really won't know until you begin.

Generally speaking, many people usually find that the earliest pounds come off the fastest and the easiest. That's because you've shaken things up calorie wise. At a calorie range of around 1200 calories per day, a day on Medifast is going to be much less than most people's daily calorie intake. Our bodies generally get used to (and learn to live on) the amount of calories that we are in the habit of taking in. (That's why those last ten pounds can be so hard to lose.)

But when you begin a diet, you've interrupted the status quo, which is often why many people see quick results in the beginning. Another thing that this diet has going for it is that it is high in protein so it encourages lean muscle which also helps to burn more fat. So to answer the question posed, Medifast generally works well for people who aren't very overweight. In fact, those folks reach their weight loss goals faster than those with more to lose simply because they didn't start with a huge goal in the first place.

Article Source

Read more »

31 Day Fat Loss Cure Reviews - Pros and Cons to Consider

The 31 Day Fat Loss Cure diet and exercise program by Vic Magary has been one of the most talked about diets this past year. That being said does not mean that this diet is right for you or will help you get the results that you want with a diet. That is why I wanted to take the time to talk about the pros and cons of this 31 day diet and help you make an informed decision when it comes to your search for a affective weight loss program.

Let me touch on a few important details of this diet before I start on the pros and cons of this diet program.

Vic Magary is the creator of the 31 Day Fat Loss Cure diet and exercise program and he got his inspiration to create this fat loss program from his experience in basic training while in the army.

The diet and exercise program has 5 levels of physical fitness each level is set up for 31 days.

There are several testimonies of both men and women who have used this fat loss program and lost a lot of weight.

The diet for the weight loss program is geared toward a cave mans diet. The best way to better explain that is to say that eating foods in their natural state and to stay away from highly processed foods.

Pros and Cons of the 31 Day Fat Loss Cure diet

Here is a list of Cons.

The diet part of this program ask that you refrain from eating foods that are highly processed, breads, pasta, sugars, certain dairy product. This may be hard to adapt to for some folks.

The exercises even though they are short are intense and may take some time to adapt to for some folks.

Vic asks that you stay aware from alcoholic beverages for the first 31 days to help you get maximum results.

Pros for the 31 Day Fat Loss Cure Program

There are videos for each of the workout exercises so that you can easily follow along with and know that you are doing each exercise correctly.

Vic Magary breaks down exactly which foods you can eat and which foods to stay away from. This makes it easy for you to know what is OK to eat and the foods are healthy for you.

There are 5 different levels of exercises so that no matter what physical fitness level you are currently at you can easily get started and move forward to the next level when you are ready.

If you have not worked out in a long time or if you are limited to what kind of exercise you can do due to an injury there is a special part of the program geared toward help people who fall into this category.

In wrapping this up

The 31 Day Fat Loss Cure diet and exercise program has been proven to be effective for several men and women. If you are willing to commit to the diet and exercises in this program for at least 31 days then there is no doubt in my mind that you will experience great results.

Article Source

Read more »

Exercises and Workouts - Four Ways To Stay Motivated To Exercise

Tired of falling off the fitness bandwagon? Or, maybe you haven't fallen off completely - but trying to stay motivated seems like the challenge of a lifetime. Whatever the case may be, it's important you have a game plan. If you take advantage of a few quick tips and strategies, you will never have to worry about getting motivated again - you will already be motivated.

Here's what to do...

1. Always Set Goals. The first thing you must do is make sure you are always setting goals. There's nothing more motivating. If you aren't setting goals, you'll simply fail to keep the end picture in mind - because you have no picture to start with. Whatever your goal is, define it, write it down and refer to it daily.

Start setting both long-term and short-term goals. In fact, consider getting into the habit of setting daily goals if it helps you stay on track.

2. Know What Success Means To You. Next, make sure you know what success means to you. Why do you want to reach your goal so badly? What will happen if you do?

If you don't firmly know what success looks like, it will be hard to keep motivated to keep pushing onward.

Vision yourself reaching success and see how it feels. Then think about this any time you feel like skipping the gym or eating something you know is not healthy.

3. Consider Your Exercise Location. Another smart move is to consider your exercise location. If you're using a home gym, this may be great for convenience sake, but if it's causing your motivation to falter, it's time for a change.

Make sure wherever you choose to exercise, you're motivated to do so. Remember if you workout in a commercial gym with those who are more advanced than you, this can serve as motivation in itself.

4. Dare To Be Different. Finally, remember to dare to be different. This means trying new things often. If one plan isn't working, don't stick with it for months on end hoping it will finally start giving you progress. Instead, do something different. Until you do, chances are you'll just keep seeing the same results over and over again.

So, there you have a few smart ways to keep yourself motivated at all times. If you aren't doing these, it's time you brought them into the picture so you can realize the success you're going for.


Although managing Type 2 diabetes can be very challenging, it is not a condition you must just live with. Make simple changes to your daily routine - include exercise to help lower both your blood sugar levels and your weight.



Article Source

Read more »

How To Find A Safe Weight Loss Program

Have you seen those ads in the paper that tell you ôlose 10lb in 7 daysö and wondered what it was all about. It is appealing. What if it were true? What is the secret I am missing? When we are unhappy about our shape and weight, the pursuit of these promises can be tantalizing but excuciatingàwhat if it we end up disappointed? This article will show you how to select a safe weight loss program.

According to medical authorities a responsible and safe weight-loss program is one that has the following characteristics. This information can help you make an informed decision about joining a program.

A Responsible and Safe Weight-loss Program.

Experts agree that the best way to reach a healthy weight is to follow a sensible eating plan and engage in regular physical activity. Weight loss programs should encourage healthy behaviours that help you lose weight and that you can maintain over time.

A safe and effective weight loss program should include:

1. Healthy eating plans that reduce calories but do not rule out specific foods or food groups

2. Regular physical activity and/or exercise instruction

3. Tips on healthy behaviour changes that also consider your cultural needs

4. Slow and steady weight loss of about ? to 2 pounds per week and not more than 3 pounds per week (weight loss may be faster at the start of a program)

5. A plan to keep the weight off after you have lost it

Read more »

How To Get Your Black Belt In Weight Loss Results

Your Black Belt, yes, in the martial arts realm, this is one of the highest degrees you can master. Think of weight loss achievement in terms of taking small steps that continuously lead to better and bigger body fat achievement strides.

Without wasting any time, here is the big secretà you need ôintellectual advantageö working in your favor in order to maximize weight management results.

And, exactly what does such intellectual advantage comprise? The phrase simply means that your mind is in tune, sharply performing, acutely aware, completely open and free to absorb weight loss nuances around you. In other words, intellectual advantage is about empowering and equipping yourself with tools other than the obvious. Intellectual advantage now demands that you truly THINK about HOW you approach lifestyle, behavior patterns, belief systems, and your overall acquisition of weight loss knowledge.

For example, if you’re anything like the ôaverageö weight loss ônewbie,ö you can probably benefit from overcoming the feeling that you want to quit, and usually this feeling occurs right at the point where your true weight management rewards are about to begin. The cause of this is NOT physical.

The reasoning lies behind the concept of knowing (in terms of education) exactly of what the human body is capable. In other words, until you understand the principles of biological or physiological adaptation, aerobic and anaerobic threshold, progressive resistance, and your Krebs Cycle mitochondrial fat burning center, for exampleà there remains enormous room for weight loss improvement in your life.

Now, don’t let the fancy phrases intimidate or scare you. They are just technical names for the things that your body can do when you attempt to burn fat. In fact, let’s go ahead and briefly explain some of the above terms, in ônutshellö format.

Aerobic and anaerobic threshold: Between these two points, when you are working out, you begin to feel that muscle burning or fatigue sensation. Such feeling normally indicates that you no longer in your fat burning zone, but you have now entered into an ôimmediateö energy need phase, which usually your muscles supply. Actually you WANT to stay within a somewhat challenging ôaerobicö threshold, if your purpose is burning fat.

Biological or physiological adaptation: Results of exercise science laboratory studies and live observation trials consistently display that your body does, in fact, ôrise to the occasionö when you demand more from it. Adaptation is responsible for this. Simply be aware that you virtually always possess another ôsecond wind.ö In other words, when your are working on burning fat and obtaining a leaner body, you can push just a little bit harder without undue worry because your body is a fantastically adaptive machine.

Krebs Cycle mitochondrial fat burning center: This is a cellular location, let’s say, right in the middle of each cell, that does the actual ôburningö of fat cells. Here’s the most important thing about your Krebs Cycle and mitochondrial fat burning centerà if fat does not literally proceed INSIDE to the mitochondrial center, you simply cannot metabolize it. How do you make sure this occurs? By breathing, that is, ensure that you keep a steady uninterrupted flow of oxygen during your workout because fat only burns in the presence of oxygen. In other words, when you become short of breath, you effectively interrupt your fat burn process. Work out at a level you can sustain virtually without limitation, but for fat burning purposes, keep it within your aerobic threshold.

Progressive resistance: This deals with the surprising fact, for most weight loss candidates, that using weights and incorporating weight lifting exercise into your fat burning protocol gradually rewards you with far leaner body tissue. Progressive indicates slow and purposeful introduction of light resistance. You can subsequently use higher amounts of weight as your body continues to adapt to previous sets utilized. In other words, lifting weights makes you leaner. It has one more advantage, also. It raises your body’s overall metabolic activity level, even while you are at rest. Therefore, you burn more fat because you use weights, as well.

Now, from the above you can probably know and see that your body is an excellently responsive, reactive, and adaptive training machine.

At this very moment, it’s highly likely that you are doing far less than you’re capable, in terms of working smarter, not harder.

Make adjustments, and YOU WILL GET GUARANTEED RESULTS. It’s virtually as simple as that. Now, here’s the secret catchà just make sure your adjustment originates in your MIND, first.

The biggest unconscious weight loss mistake you can make is accidentally falling into a trance of non-action by hitting your brain’s OFF switch. Without realizing it, your standard reaction to effective body fat reduction ideas may be, ôOh, yeah, I already know that.ö Or, ôI’m already doing that.ö

Mindfully embrace the principles laid out for you here. Come back to life. Energize your life by phenomenal percentages, even in a short amount of time, AND let it all be a serious part of your being.

With a ôsmarterö weight loss endurance approach, I see clients attain as much as a 133% increase in intensity PLUS a 2,000% improvement in duration within the first day alone by simply adopting these scientifically approved weight management techniques. If a relatively small amount of intellectual advantage can afford you such great results in a short period of time, just think of what YOU can accomplish over your lifetime.

If you truly want to get your ôblack beltö in weight loss results, then master the artfully powerful philosophy of INTELLECTUAL ADVANTAGE.

Why? Because when you garner such intellectual advantage, you lose your excess or unwanted body weight. It’s that simple. Don’t’ sabotage your own success by falling into an ôI-already-know-thatö daze.

You’re about to learn the absolutely biggest body fat reduction secret à to uncover the most uncommonly crucial weight loss factor that boosts your success by leaps and bounds.

But before any of this can truly happen, you’ve got to wake up, energize your mind, and focus your intellect upon open-minded, purposeful, results-producing action.

Not sure if your weight loss ôthinkerö skills are up to par?

Here’s a quick way to gauge how effective your approach actually is.

Ask yourself this sample question: [NTS: insert the ôInteractive Radio Button Formö idea here.]

ôHow many calories are in a one-ounce serving of raisins?ö

[àSample answers could be:]

(__) 57 calories

(__) 309 calories

(__) What’s a calorie, or what does ôone-ounce servingö meanö I know very little about food nutrition, consumption, or calorie counting. I’d like help with this kind of stuff. How can I get more info?


Now, if you don’t know the CORRECT answer to this question, it does not mean you’re dense, dim, dull, or slow. You’re neither at fault, nor anything of the kind. Although it’s not a trick question, it only serves as mere example.

You know there are millions of weight loss candidates who diligently strive toward better body composition, believing that they’re approaching the subject in the best way possible.

Yet, here’s something you might be surprised to know discoverà Weight loss reality demonstrates that these efforts fall severely short of attentive, effective, long-term, fat-loss triumph.

That missing ingredient is still at largeà today you can find it, incorporate it, use it, and keep it û make it yours, FOR LIFE. Proceed to the highest level of your weight loss achievement. Get your black belt in body fat results by employing intellectual advantage.

Read more »

Do Popular Fad Diets Work?

It seems like so many celebrities today market their own diet, exercise, or weight loss programs, celebrities like Suzanne Somers or Kathy Ireland. The appeal of these programs is obvious, because celebrities are always so trim and healthy-looking. And since celebrities are often amiable and trustworthy, it’s easy to trust that their products will work for you.

Most celebrities, however, do not have any professional training in the fields of exercise, health, or nutrition. Often, they are merely offering a good sales offer to the public.

Experts on health and nutrition Annette B. Natow and Jo-Ann Heslin, who wrote the book Get Skinny the Smart Way, say that consumers should be apprehensive of celebrity-inspired diet and exercise plans. They point out these kinds of books are usually based on nutritional fiction and that, while the diets outlined in these books may result in short-term weight loss, they are not always very healthy for the long term. It might be wise to instead consider a plan written by health and nutrition experts.

Celebrities aren’t the only pitchers of fad diets. There have been many ridiculous fad diets through the years, and many people have tried them, including the grapefruit diet, which suggests eating a grapefruit before each meal. Then there is the cabbage soup diet, which involves eating all the cabbage soup you can. There have been fads that require eating nothing but eggs, eating only raw foods, even fasting every other day. These diets not healthy.

No major health group ever supported the cabbage soup diet. The American Heart Association condemns it, noting that it can cause you long-term harm. Advocates of the diet say that you can lose as much as 15 pounds a week on it. However, this is just water, and when you begin eating other foods again, you will gain back all of the weight immediately. There are a few possible side effects of doing the cabbage soup diet, which include weakness, stomach cramps, and diarrhea.

Another dubious diet plan is known as food combining. Proponents of this type of dieting preach that you are overweight because you eat the wrong types of foods together. The requirements of this diet seem pretty random. For example, the diet might state that you can eat a banana only at breakfast. This makes no sense, as your stomach can digest different foods at any time of day. The goal of this plan is to consume fewer calories, but there are more efficient and healthy ways of doing this.

There are even claims that you can lose weight while you sleep. By using their product before you go to bed at night, you will lose weight in your dreams. This is an impossibility. There are even diet plans that state that you can lose weight by eating their special milkshakes or candy bars. These products are nothing more than milk and candy with added vitamins and minerals. You rarely feel sated or full after using these products, which can lead you to binge eat, and eat more calories than you would have otherwise. In addition, plans such as this make it very difficult to maintain any weight loss in the long term.

There is a lot of money to be made in the diet industry. Marketing companies will continue to feed off the ill health and insecurities of overweight people. When looking for an effective diet plan, it is your job to know the fad diets from the legitimate ones. In the long run, there are no true short cuts to weight loss. A successful weight loss program takes time and determination, along with exercise, healthful eating, and portion control.

Read more »